Identification and retaining member for cables and the like



March 22, 1960 A. K. KUYK 2,929,161

IDENTIFICATION AND RETAINING MEMBER FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed March 24, 1958 IN VEN TOR.

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United States Patent IDENTIFICATION AND RETAINING MEMBER FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE Aart Kenneth Kuyk, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application March 24, 1958, Serial No. 723,337

2 Claims. (Cl. 40-2) The invention relates to a sleeve for identifying conductors such as electrical cables, fluid piping, etc. The sleeve may also be used to hold groups of such elements together in bundle form.

It has long been a problem to tag-identify electrical cables and the like so that the identification tag will remain tightly in position but can be easily removed and replaced when desired. Identification sleeves have been used but have not been entirely satisfactory in the past because they were not readily adapted to be removed and replaced and numerous sizes must be stocked to fit various size cables. The sleeve now proposed overcomes these ditficulties by providing for circumferential adjustment without the loss of retention action. The sleeve also permits various lengths to be used without stocking numerous precut sleeves. The same sleeve stock may be used on several different size cables, thus eliminating additional stocks for different size cables.

A sleeve embodying the invention is preferably formed as a scroll so that it tends to be held in a tight roll. The scroll has a longitudinal slit so that a sleeve cut therefrom may be readily placed about a cable or pipe at any point. The slit may also be so formed that its edges aid in gripping and retaining the sleeve on the conductor.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a sheet from which sleeves embodying the invention are formed.

Figure 2 shows the sheet formed as a scroll.

Figure 3 shows a scroll with identification symbols.

Figure 4 is an end view of a sleeve holding several cables together.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end view of a sleeve on a relatively small cable.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an end view of a sleeve on a medium size cable.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows a sleeve on a relatively large cable.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of Figure 10.

The sheet 10 shown in Figure 1 may be made of any suitable resilient material which may be preformed and pretensioned. Any of several well known plastic materials may be suitable for this purpose and may be nonconducting for use on electrical conduits. Metals may also be used if desired. The sheet 10 has sides 12 and 14 which may be provided with a series of indentations 16, 20, and extensions 18, 22, alternating therebetween to provide edges presenting a saw-tooth or V-shaped appearance. The indentations and extensions may be considered to form complementary notches which will cooperate as later described.

The sheet 10 is preformed into a scroll 24 with the edge 12, for example, overlapping edge 14 as shown at 26. It may then be radially tensioned or set to retain this configuration. When the scroll is in its normal configuration as shown in Figure 2, it is tightly wound to present a spiral type cross section, but may be opened against the tension in the scroll normally holding it in the wound position. These edges may be considered to define a longitudinal slit having non-linear locking elements formed on the edges thereof by the notches.

Scroll 24 may be provided with a series of identification symbols or spots 28 for receiving identification symbols of any suitable nature. The scroll may be formed as a relatively long tube and may be severable along transverse lines 30 to form individual sleeves 32. The sleeves may be cut to any desired length and are shown in Figure 3 as including several series of notches formed by the indentations and extensions. The sleeve of the remaining figures are shown to include a single notch but may obviously be made longer if desired.

Sleeve 32 of Figure 4 is shown holding several conductors such as wires 34 together in a bundle. The sleeve may be used for retaining purposes only, identification purposes only, or may perform both functions at the same time. As shown in this figure, edge 12 overlaps edge 14 and the extensions 18 and 22 provide a gripping action due to the tendency of the sleeve to remain tightly wound as a scroll. Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4 and shows the sleeve 32 holding the cables 34 in a bundle.

Sleeve 32 may also be used about a single cable. The cable need not be of a particular diameter and need not have a circular conformation in order for the sleeve to be attached thereto. As shown in Figure 6, sleeve 32 is wrapped about cable 36. This cable is a relatively small one and permits the sleeve edges 12 and 14 to overlap in a manner similar to the arrangement in Figure 4. Figure 7 is a side elevation of the sleeve shown in Figure 6 and shows that sleeve extending about cable 36.

A sleeve 32 of the same size as the sleeve of Figure 6 may also be installed on a medium size cable 38, as is shown in Figure 8. This cable may be of such a size that no overlapping of the edges 12 and 14 is obtainable. It may, for example, permit the extensions 18 to fit within the recesses 20 and the extensions 22 to fit within the recesses 16, as is more clearly shown in Figure 9. The tension within the sleeve will still hold the sleeve in position on the cable.

The sleeve may also be installed on a cable 40 having a circumference greater than the width of sheet 10 as measured between the edges 12 and 14. This installation is shown in Figures 10 and 11. The extensions 18 and 22 will tend to hold sleeve 32 in position even though the sleeve does not extend entirely around the cable 40.

Sleeves formed from scroll 24 may thus be used on cables of various sizes or on bundles of cables. Such sleeves will be held in position by tension due to the scroll formation. They may be readily removed and replaced without destroying or injuring either the sleeve or the cable. They may incorporate identification colors, numerals, letters, etc. or provide an area for marking as desired. Such sleeves are particularly useful on conductors which are attached to larger pieces of machinery, sockets, pipe fittings, etc., since they need not be installed over the end of such conductors.

What is claimed is:

1. A sleeve for installation about one or more of several cables, said sleeve comprising a scroll having normally overlapping free edges and tensioned to retain the scroll formation, said edges having complementary circumferentially extending indentations and extensions and the extensions of the outer one of said edges gripping the outer surface of said scroll and the extensions of the inner one of said edges gripping the one or more cables about which the sleeve is installed to provide a retaining action for retaining said sleeve about any of said cables.

2. A sleeve for installation about a plurality of cables or the like for identification and retention of said cables,

Patented Mar. 2 2,

said sleeve being formed as a scroll and radially tensioned to retain the scroll formation and having two generally longitudinally extending free edges formed to provide cireumferentiallyextending indentations and extensions, said edges being circumferentiaIl-y separable for installation and removal of said sleeve about said cables and said edge circumferential extensions being tensioned radially inward of said scroll to provide a gripping action of said sleeve on said cables when installed thereabout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Spencer July 11, 1905 Hott Jan. 10, 1928 Von Stackelberg Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 29, 1909 Germany Nov. 22, 1935 

